By Douglas E. Hall

The fertile farm fields in the Willamette Valley of Oregon may not seem a legal battlefield over genetically modified produce, but it is.

Douglas E. Hall

The Willamette Valley is the heart of Oregon’s agriculture country. During spring and summer growing seasons, roadside stands dot the country lanes, and farmers’ markets appear in the valley’s historic towns.

The valley’s flat terrain and temperate climate make it a favorite for hikers and cyclists, who also enjoy the paved paths in the college towns of Eugene and Corvallis. Nestled among its rolling hills are over 200 wineries producing a medley of vintages—Pinot noir, Pinot gris and Riesling to mention a few. The valley, dubbed Oregon’s Wine Country, is one of Oregon’s major wine-growing regions.

But among the biggest cash crops are sugar beets.

If you’re not acquainted with sugar beets, you are very familiar with what the beets produce, the pure white sweet granules in your sugar bowl and so many of the foods you eat.  Sugar beets provide the nation with half of the sugar it consumes.  The other half is from sugar cane, produced mainly in the continental U.S. in Louisiana, but in Hawaii and Puerto Rico as well.

Sugar beets are grown across many northern states in the Continental United States and they are also a major crop in Nebraska, but what has put the Willamette Valley on the map is the fact that all of the sugar beet farmers in the valley have all decided to use genetically modified seeds from Monsanto to grow their crops this spring despite a ruling from a federal district court that revoked a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval of the seed use.

Despite the ruling of Federal Judge Jeffrey S. White in San Francisco that USDA had to first prepare an environmental impact study (EIS), the Department said on Friday, Feb. 4, that the farmers could proceed with the genetically modified seeds.  The department decided it could not produce an EIS until May 2012 and if planting of the seeds was delayed, that would produce a sugar shortage.

These seeds have been modified by Monsanto to carry a gene that makes them resistant to Monsanto’s powerful and toxic weed killer, Roundup. The concern, particularly in Willamette Valley, is that there is insufficient room to isolate the bio-tech sugar-beet plants from cross-pollination with other sugar beets or even table beets and Swiss chard, which are from the same plant family as sugar beets.

There is concern that through wind-blown seeds, there will be cross-pollination with weeds as well, which will eventually make Roundup useless against weeds that have joined with the bio-tech sugar beet seeds.

Even scarier is the belief among some scientists and nutritionalists that ingestion of sugar produced from bio-tech sugar beets will cause increased and new diseases among human consumers.  These food watchers have also complained about corn grown with genetically modified seeds containing genes from insects that attack corn.

But Monsanto and its new German partner KWS Lochow seem unconcerned with those who are troubled by genetic modification of seeds.  In fact, KWS is taking a growing position in the United States in this area.

Last month it announced, KWS has acquired the wheat germplasm assets of two American companies, Great Lakes Cereal Grains, Loveland, Colo., and Sunbeam Extract Co., Wooster, Ohio. These acquisitions provide KWS increased access to the US wheat seed market and increased opportunities to partner with organizations providing the latest technologies for cereal breeding (application of the science of genetics to commercial agriculture).

The move will, in the long term, also strengthen the company’s existing activities in Germany, United Kingdom, France, Poland and Russia. KWS’ wheat breeding and commercial activities in the United States will be consolidated in the newly founded company, KWS Cereals USA, LLC, located at the KWS Seeds headquarters in Shakopee, Minn.

And so the brave new world continues its meddling in the things we eat.

Chipolte-Peach Salmon

By Alison Hein

My husband, Kevin, is one of six children. When we married, I not only inherited a group of wonderful new family members, but also gained multiple new resources who I can quiz about regional cuisine. I often have questions like “What’s the most authentic way to make Boston Baked Beans?” or “Where can you get the absolute freshest crab on the Chesapeake?” and “Is it common to find Crunchy Cole Slaw in the Atlanta area?” Well, my new family has pretty much got me (and my sometimes annoying questions) covered from New Hampshire to Florida.

When Kevin’s sister Suzanne and her husband Randy recently visited us from Texas, I was eager to launch the conversation about local cuisine. I had a few questions for Randy, who is a native Texan and whose grandmother wrote her own cookbook many years ago. Only I didn’t get a chance because Randy beat me to the punch.

“Ali, did you ever make Chipotle-Peach Salmon?” Randy asked over dinner one evening.

“Mmmm, that sounds good.” My mouth was already watering. “How do you make it?”

“I don’t know,” Randy answered. “But surely you can figure it out.”

By Alison Hein

Soon after Suzanne and Randy returned home, I started fiddling with the ingredients, testing my hand at the dish. I baked the salmon in a hot oven, aiming for a fire and fruit glaze. After a few tries, I finally struck what I hope is the right combination of smoky, spicy chipotle and sweet, sultry peach.

Now I have just one more question for Randy…did I make it right?

Ingredients:

2 pounds salmon filet

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup peach spread (use all fruit jam or spread with no added sugar)

½ teaspoon chipotle pepper powder

Preparation:

1.        Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place salmon filets on foil-lined sheet and set aside.

2.        Add oil and minced garlic to small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is softened. Add vinegar, peach spread and chipotle powder. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until thickened.

3.        Brush salmon filets liberally with peach glaze. Place in oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until salmon flakes easily when tested. If you like, remove skins with a spatula when placing on a serving platter. Serve hot with additional peach chipotle sauce on the side.

Makes 4 servings.

by Alison Hein

My husband, Kevin, is one of six children. When we married, I not only inherited a group of wonderful new family members, but also gained multiple new resources who I can quiz about regional cuisine. I often have questions like “What’s the most authentic way to make Boston Baked Beans?” or “Where can you get the absolute freshest crab on the Chesapeake?” and “Is it common to find Crunchy Cole Slaw in the Atlanta area?” Well, my new family has pretty much got me (and my sometimes annoying questions) covered from New Hampshire to Florida.

When Kevin’s sister Suzanne and her husband Randy recently visited us from Texas, I was eager to launch the conversation about local cuisine. I had a few questions for Randy, who is a native Texan and whose grandmother wrote her own cookbook many years ago. Only I didn’t get a chance because Randy beat me to the punch…

 “Ali, did you ever make Chipotle-Peach Salmon?” Randy asked over dinner one evening.

 “Mmmm, that sounds good.” My mouth was already watering. “How do you make it?”

 “I don’t know,” Randy answered. “But surely you can figure it out.”

Chipotles, or smoked jalapeño chile peppers, add a mild but spicy smokiness to Mexican traditional dishes. In recent years, they have found their way across the border (into Texas) and have become much more common in our local groceries (check the Mexican food or specialty spice section).

Soon after Suzanne and Randy returned home, I started fiddling with the ingredients, testing my hand at the dish. I baked the salmon in a hot oven, aiming for a fire and fruit glaze. After a few tries, I finally struck what I hope is the right combination of smoky, spicy chipotle and sweet, sultry peach.

Now I have just one more question for Randy…did I make it right?

Ingredients:
2 pounds salmon filet
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup peach spread (use all fruit jam or spread with no added sugar)
½ teaspoon chipotle pepper powder

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place salmon filets on foil-lined sheet and set aside.
2. Add oil and minced garlic to small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is softened. Add vinegar, peach spread and chipotle powder. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until thickened.
3. Brush salmon filets liberally with peach glaze. Place in oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until salmon flakes easily when tested. If you like, remove skins with a spatula when placing on a serving platter. Serve hot with additional peach chipotle sauce on the side.

 Makes 4 servings.

By Valerie Cario

Yes, it may be considered cliche, but absolutely no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a delicious and creamy pumpkin pie. Even though it wasn’t enjoyed at the first Thanksgiving (although the Pilgrims did eventually figure out how to make a spicy pumpkin pudding), pumpkin pie is undeniably an American tradition. Almost every home last Thursday had a pumpkin pie on their table for dessert…but pumpkin pie is not just for Thanksgiving dinner. It can be enjoyed anytime during the season.

Nothing beats a home-made pumpkin pie, and this recipe for Pecan Pumpkin Pie is a fabulous choice. Even if you’re crunched for time, this dessert can be prepared and baked in about 70 minutes. Made with simple ingredients, this pie will be sure to delight everyone at the table.

Ingredients
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

Preparation
1. Mix together one egg, pumpkin, 1/3 cup sugar and spice; spread over bottom of pie shell.

2.Combine 2 eggs, corn syrup, 1/2 cup sugar, butter and vanilla.

3. Stir in pecans. Spread over pumpkin mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes or until filling is set.

Tip: Make your pie extra special by making your own pumpkin pie spice (1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice, and an 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg).

By Valerie Cario

Photo by: southernfood.about.com

Yes, it may be considered cliche, but absolutely no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a delicious and creamy pumpkin pie. Even though it wasn’t enjoyed at the first Thanksgiving (although the Pilgrims did eventually figure out how to make a spicy pumpkin pudding), pumpkin pie is undeniably an American tradition. Almost every home last Thursday had a pumpkin pie on their table for dessert…but pumpkin pie is not just for Thanksgiving dinner. It can be enjoyed anytime during the season.

Nothing beats a home-made pumpkin pie, and this recipe for Pecan Pumpkin Pie is a fabulous choice. Even if you’re crunched for time, this dessert can be prepared and baked in about 70 minutes. Made with simple ingredients, this pie will be sure to delight everyone at the table.

Ingredients
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

Preparation
1. Mix together one egg, pumpkin, 1/3 cup sugar and spice; spread over bottom of pie shell.

2.Combine 2 eggs, corn syrup, 1/2 cup sugar, butter and vanilla.

3. Stir in pecans. Spread over pumpkin mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes or until filling is set.

Tip: Make your pie extra special by making your own pumpkin pie spice (1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice, and an 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg).

From:  behind the Burner.com

ENGLEWOOD – The Center for Food Action, (CFA) located here, began distributing Thanksgiving food packages this week to nearly 4,000 families that will be receiving a turkey and all the traditional trimmings thanks to the aid of an anonymous donor, CFA officials said.

Executive Director Patricia Espy said, “Food donations have been down all year. With Thanksgiving just a week away, CFA did not have enough turkeys and other items for all the families that need help to put food on their tables this Thanksgiving.”

Then, as a result of the publicity, Ms. Espy received a call from a member of Community Baptist Church in Englewood that they and the Community Resource Council had a potential donor asking how many turkeys CFA needed to bridge the gap. A later phone call confirmed that the donor wanted to purchase the turkeys needed to make up the difference.

“This was incredible news,” she said.

A typical Thanksgiving basket includes a $15 – $25 supermarket gift certificate for a 12 – 15 pound frozen turkey, apple or cranberry juice, canned fruit, Parmalat milk, canned vegetables/canned yams, cranberry sauce, stuffing/rice/spaghetti-ziti, canned gravy/gravy packet, spaghetti sauce, pudding mix/muffin mix, coffee/tea, roasting tin/holiday napkins, and dish detergent/paper towels.

Ms. Espy said that CFA also needs hearty soups, canned meat or tuna and cereal for the seven-day emergency food packages it distributes throughout the year.

CFA provides emergency food packages, rental and utility assistance, counseling, advocacy and other  services to those in need living in northern New Jersey.

CFA’s headquarters is in Englewood. It also has seven outreach sites in Bergen County, including Fairview, Hackensack and Palisades Park.

Warning! If you are diabetic, dieting, or for any other reason trying to control your sugar intake, read no further. If, however, you are looking for new and wonderful ways to indulge during the holiday season, hazelnut praline sweet potatoes might just be for you. After all, what Thanksgiving spread is complete without sweet, gooey sweet potatoes of one kind or another?

The toasty crunch of the caramelized hazelnuts is a nice contrast to the creamy, maple-flavored sweet potatoes. Watch carefully as you melt the sugar to make the praline topping. It goes from ‘just melted’ to ‘burnt’ quite quickly.

Bright autumn color and nutty texture add a festive, harvest appeal to your meal. I use two shallow casserole dishes to place around the table – they look nice, are easier for guests to reach, and encourage smaller portions.

If you want to make this dish a little ahead of time, keep the nuts separate until ready to bake so they retain their crunch. You can skip the nuts altogether if you like, reducing the amount of sugar in the process. Or, better yet, just eat this instead of that piece of pie you were planning on for dessert.

Ingredients:

Praline Topping

1 cup hazelnuts

½ cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons maple syrup

¼ cup, plus 2 teaspoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation:

1.      To make the praline topping, preheat oven to 350°. Spread hazelnuts evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then rub with dry towel to remove some of the skins. Chop nuts and set aside.

2.      Heat skillet over medium to medium low heat. Add brown sugar and maple syrup. Let sugar heat and melt, without stirring, until it has reached a dark golden color (about 6 to 8 minutes). Immediately remove from heat, toss with toasted hazelnuts, and set to cool on waxed paper. Break into smaller pieces when cool.

3.      Peel and chop sweet potatoes and place in heavy saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to boil, then simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain sweet potatoes and add butter, maple syrup, ¼ cup brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Puree mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Add eggs and mix until smooth.

4.      Pour sweet potato mixture into lightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then top with praline mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until firm and slightly puffed up. Serve hot.

Makes 8 servings.

By Robyn Nadel

Thursday, Nov. 11

Closed-Veterans Day

Friday, Nov. 12

Juice, stuffed cabbage, mashed potatoes, Italian blend vegetables, pumpernickel bread, sliced apples.

Monday, Nov. 15

Juice, bratwurst with sauerkraut, baked beans, potato salad, club roll, apple sauce.

Tuesday, Nov. 16

Juice, stuffed shells with meat sauce (1-cup), tossed salad (1-cup), Italian bread, yogurt.

Wednesday, Nov. 17

Juice, reduced sodium ham with pineapple sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, oriental vegetables, rye bread, fresh fruit.

Thursday, Nov. 18

Great American Smokeout

Tomato barley soup, chicken Florentine, brown rice, carrots, whole what bread, fresh fruit.

Suggested donation: $1.25

The weekly average nutrient analysis of each meal is: 30 percent or less fat, 50-55 percent carbohydrates, 15-20 percent protein, 1,000 mg. or less sodium. All meals served with 1 cup of skim, or 2 percent milk, coffee and all accompaniments.

Nutrition Hotline: 1-800-843-8114.

Listed here are the addresses and contact for your local facilities:

Englewood: 44 Armory St., 201-568-0817, Dir. Susan Linder.

Teaneck Kosher: Jewish Community Center, 1 Sterling Place, 201-837-1422. Special Kosher menus are offered. Check with Center. Dir. Susan Kaplan.

Teaneck Senior Services: 250 Colonial Court, 201-837-0171. Dir. Diane Stoller.

by Alison Hein

Warning! If you are diabetic, dieting, or for any other reason trying to control your sugar intake, read no further. If, however, you are looking for new and wonderful ways to indulge during the holiday season, hazelnut praline sweet potatoes might just be for you. After all, what Thanksgiving spread is complete without sweet, gooey sweet potatoes of one kind or another?

The toasty crunch of the caramelized hazelnuts is a nice contrast to the creamy, maple-flavored sweet potatoes. Watch carefully as you melt the sugar to make the praline topping. It goes from ‘just melted’ to ‘burnt’ quite quickly.

Bright autumn color and nutty texture add a festive, harvest appeal to your meal. I use two shallow casserole dishes to place around the table – they look nice, are easier for guests to reach, and encourage smaller portions.

If you want to make this dish a little ahead of time, keep the nuts separate until ready to bake so they retain their crunch. You can skip the nuts altogether if you like, reducing the amount of sugar in the process. Or, better yet, just eat this instead of that piece of pie you were planning on for dessert.

Ingredients:
Praline Topping
1 cup hazelnuts
½ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons maple syrup
¼ cup, plus 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation:

1. To make the praline topping, preheat oven to 350°. Spread hazelnuts evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then rub with dry towel to remove some of the skins. Chop nuts and set aside.
2. Heat skillet over medium to medium low heat. Add brown sugar and maple syrup. Let sugar heat and melt, without stirring, until it has reached a dark golden color (about 6 to 8 minutes). Immediately remove from heat, toss with toasted hazelnuts, and set to cool on waxed paper. Break into smaller pieces when cool.
3. Peel and chop sweet potatoes and place in heavy saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to boil, then simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain sweet potatoes and add butter, maple syrup, ¼ cup brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Puree mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Add eggs and mix until smooth.
4. Pour sweet potato mixture into lightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then top with praline mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until firm and slightly puffed up. Serve hot.

 Makes 8 servings.

by Alison Hein

My son’s girlfriend, Lesley, is a creative and talented cook. Her culinary creations contain unique combinations of ingredients that surprise and delight the palate. I happen to know that Lesley’s favorite snack is freshly popped corn topped with pepper, so when I suggested she join me in my kitchen to transform her peppery popcorn into sweet, savory mini-popcorn balls, she thought it was a great idea.

Lesley used white pepper to avoid dark specks in the popcorn, and added cayenne and chipotle for a hot, smoky bite. The peanut butter/pepper combination was unexpectedly addictive, and helped us to create round, sticky popcorn balls. Dark rum, along with a few surprising spices, make this an interesting, grownup snack.

If you have a candy thermometer, go ahead and use it to heat the corn syrup mixture to the perfect temperature. If you don’t have one, don’t sweat it – I recall making popcorn balls successfully with my mother countless times with no thermometer in sight.

Don’t forget to warn innocent guests about the peppery, nutty, adult nature of the popcorn balls. Or, to be on the safe side, pop a lot of corn and set out a variety of ingredients so your friends and family can invent their own creations. Who knows what you’ll come up with?

 
Ingredients:
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white vinegar
12 cups popped corn
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ cup dark rum
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon chipotle pepper
Butter, for shaping balls

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar, water salt and vinegar. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for 6 to 7 minutes until thickened (or until mixture reaches 255° on a candy thermometer).

Pour corn syrup mixture over popped corn and stir gently. In large bowl, mix together peanut butter, rum, white pepper, ginger, celery seed, cayenne, and chipotle. Pour popcorn mixture into bowl and mix in gently but thoroughly.

Allow popcorn mixture to cool enough to handle and to stick together easily when pressed slightly. Shape into 2 inch balls with buttered hands and cool on waxed paper.

Makes about 16 small popcorn balls.